Seijigiri #46: Diet Session Ends, Fukuda’s Future, and the Future of Immigration

Filed under: Seijigiri Releases, Trans-Pacific Radio
Posted by Seijigiri at 5:09 pm on Wednesday, June 25, 2008

In this edition of TPR’s Japanese politics podcast, your hosts Garrett DeOrio and Ken Worsley take a look back at the big events of the ordinary Diet session that ended on Saturday. What was the ipact of the gas tax debate? The Bank of Japan Governor appointment debacle? The elderly health care struggle? The spats between the DPJ and LDP?

After that, the guys get into Prime Minister Fukuda’s ongoing troubles, the upcoming G8 Summit, Japan’s proposed new immigration policy, and more.

As always, thanks for listening.

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3 Comments »

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Comment by Younghusband

June 26, 2008 @ 4:32 pm

Good show but I was hoping to hear your thoughts on the gas fields “deal”…

Comment by Ken Worsley

June 26, 2008 @ 4:51 pm

Younghusband, thanks. The gas issue was prepped but we decided we’d get into it if we had time. As usually happens, we went on and on about the immigration issue. I think we definitely have to get into the gas field issue in the next show.

Comment by cal hobbs

July 12, 2008 @ 4:52 am

Why would the number of bills passed or the pass rate be any meaningful measure of the effectiveness of a legislature?

It reminds me of the adage, ‘If your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.’

I have long been amazed by this. In the US the Congress and 50 statehouses churn out new legislation every year - literally thousands of new laws. But how many have a direct impact on individuals? Hell, do anyone know what all these new laws do? Maybe they don’t do anything other than give these an elected officials to exist. And if they are sitting their pressing buttons to vote on legislation they can’t be elsewhere causing real damage by driving drunk or taking payoffs or harassing young women (or men.) Seems like an expensive way to keep a bunch of people occupied.

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